California Gov. Schwarzenegger Defends His Past Use Of Marijuana, Saying Pot Is Not A Drug

Los Angeles, CA (AHN)-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger defended his use of marijuana during his bodybuilding days in the 1970s, saying that pot is not a drug during an interview with GQ magazine.

Schwarzenegger, a former bodybuilder/actor turned politician, was defending a picture of himself in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron," which depicted him smoking a joint, telling the interviewer, "That is not a drug. It's a leaf. My drug was pumping iron, trust me."

The Republican governor of California also refused to criticize politicians who eschew answering questions about their own experimentation with drugs, asking the interviewer, "What would you rather have? A politician taking stuff and not saying, but making the best decisions and improving things? Or a politician who names all the drugs he or she has taken but makes lousy decisions for the country?"

Schwarzenegger, who manages to remain widely popular as a GOP governor in a traditionally Democratic state, was a tad less forthcoming when discussing his opinion of fellow Republican George W. Bush's administration.

Asked if he would include President Bush on his list of the greatest leaders in history, which included former South African President Nelson Mandela, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Schwarzenegger replied, "I would say that I was...very fond of his father. I worked for President Bush Sr., and he was a great man."

"I think his son does some great things and there are some other things I don't agree with," he added.